25& THE. LAKE REGIONS OF CENTRAL AFRICA. 



ally unveiled the mystery. Said had deferred taking 

 overcharge of the outfit from Kidogo till our arrival at 

 the Ziwa, and the latter felt aggrieved by the sudden 

 yet tardy demand, which deprived him of the dignity 

 and the profits of stewardship. Sickness became rife 

 in camp, the effect of the cold night-winds and the 

 burning suns, and as usual when men are uncomfortable 

 violent quarrels ensued. Again the officious Wazira, 

 shook the torch of discord by ordering Khamisi, an ex- 

 ceedingly drunken and debauched son of Ramji, to 

 carry certain bundles which usually graced the shoulders 

 of Goha, one of the Wak'hutu porters. When words 

 were exhausted Khamisi drew his blade upon Goha and 

 was tackled by Wazira, whilst Goha brought the muzzle 

 of my elephant-gun to bear upon Khamisi and was in- 

 stantly collared by Bombay. Being thus " in chancery " 

 both heroes waxed so " exceedingly brave — particular," 

 that I was compelled to cool their noble bile with a long 

 pole. At length it became necessary to make Kidogo raise 

 his veto against the advance of the caravan. He did not 

 appear before me till summoned half-a-dozen times : when 

 he at last vouchsafed so to do I dragged rather than led him 

 to the mat, where sat in surly pride Said bin Salim, with 

 the monocular Jemadar, and I ordered the trio to quench 

 with the waters of explanation the fire of anger. After an 

 apparently satisfactory arrangement Kidogo started up 

 and disappeared in the huts of his men ; it presently 

 proved that he had so done for the purpose of proposing 

 to his party, who were now the sole interpreters, that 

 to Said bin Salim, an ignoramus in such matters, should 

 be committed the weighty task of settling the amount 

 of our blackmail and presents with the greedy chiefs of 

 Ugogo. Had the mischievous project been carried into 

 execution, we should have been sufferers to some extent : 



